Water Block And Manufacturing Method Thereof

ABSTRACT

In a water block and its manufacturing method, a porous microchannel structure adopts a first casing and a second casing to form a water block. Water inlet and outlet pipes are extended from both ends of the first casing respectively. The second casing has a porous microchannel structure made by sintering a heat conducting powder and formed on an internal side of the second casing. The second casing has a contact surface on its external side for absorbing and conducting a heat source to the porous microchannel structure, such that a coolant can flow from the water inlet pipe into the water block. The porous microchannel structure produces turbulent flows to the coolant, so as to extend the staying time of the coolant in the water block, and allow the coolant to fully exchange heat with the porous microchannel structure and flow out from the water outlet pipe.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a water-cooling heat dissipatingstructure and its manufacturing method, and more particularly to a waterblock applicable for electronic components and its manufacturing method.

2. Description of Prior Art

The operation of any electric appliance may cause overheats inevitablydue to the issue of efficiency or friction. Particularly, productsproduced by manufacturers of the present technological industry such asintegrated circuits and personal electronic products tend to bedeveloped with a high precision. Besides the minimization of volume,these products (particularly computers) also produce increasingly moreheat. Since the operation performance of these products is enhancedcontinuously, the overall heat quantity produced by computes is alsoincreased accordingly, and the main heat source no longer limits to CPUonly, but high-speed devices including chip modules, graphic processingunits, dynamic random access memories and hard disks also produce aconsiderable amount of heat. To maintain the normal operation of acomputer within a permitted operating temperature range, we rely onadditional heat dissipating devices to prevent overheats and adverseeffects on computer components.

A fan is a simple, easy and popular heat dissipating device which canproduce a fast flow of air around a heat generating component by vanes,and quickly carry away the heat produced by heat generating componentsto achieve the heat dissipation effect, but the heat dissipating effectmay not be able to satisfy the efficiency required for the heatconduction due to an insufficient heat dissipating area, and thus theactual heat dissipating efficiency is below the expected efficiency.Although a plurality of heat sink structures may be attached onto heatgenerating components, such arrangement can increase the heatdissipating area and improve the thermal conducting efficiency. Further,a fan can be used for blowing and carrying away the heat sourcecompulsorily, but the airflow volume of the fan is very limited, and theheat dissipating effect still cannot be improved effectively. Thus,prior arts try to improve the airflow volume by connecting a pluralityof fans in series, but such arrangement is limited by the availablespace and it is very difficult to implement. Furthermore, an increase ofthe rotary speed of a motor for improving the airflow volume gives riseto a higher level of difficulty for manufacturing the motor, and theincrease of the rotary speed of a motor has an upper limit, and evencauses noises, vibrations and heat easily. All of the aforementionedfactors make it difficult to achieve the required heat dissipatingeffect.

In view of the description above, there are limitations on thebreakthrough of the improvement of fan performance, heat dissipatingeffect, and temperature drop. To meet the heat dissipating requirementsfor electronic components operated at a high speed, it is necessary tofind other feasible solutions. A prior art discloses a water-coolingheat dissipating device that adopts a water block attached onto a heatgenerating component such as a CPU or a disk drive and uses a motor topump a coolant from a water tank into a water block. After the heatproduced by heat generating components is absorbed by the water blockand the coolant has a heat exchange with the water block, the coolantflows from the water block to a heat dissipating module, and thenreturns to the water tank after the coolant is cooled, so that thecirculation of coolant can assist the heat dissipation and lower thetemperature of the heat generating components to maintain a normaloperation of the system.

Although the heat exchange between the water block and the coolant isconducted by letting the coolant flow through the water block and theheat source, a heat dissipating effect that is better than the airflowheat dissipation can be achieved. However, the heat absorbing surfacesof the foregoing water block is concentrated at the same spot, and thusonly a portion of the coolant entering into the water block can have aheat exchange at the heat absorbing surface, and the staying time of thecoolant in the water block is too short. As a result, the coolant willflow out from another pipe before the coolant absorbs enough heat fromthe heat source, and the effect of the water-cooling heat dissipationwill become very limited. Another prior art discloses a water-coolingheat dissipating structure as shown in FIG. 1, and the water block body101 has a plurality of heat sinks 102 attached onto an internal side ofthe water block body 191 to form a plurality of unidirectional channels103, and the plurality of heat sinks 102 can increase the heatdissipating area. After the coolant is directed into the water blockbody 101 and passed through the plurality of unidirectional channels103, a heat exchange is performed between the coolant and the heat sinks102 to improve the heat dissipating effect.

In the foregoing heat dissipating structure, the heat sinks 102 canincrease the heat dissipating area, and the plurality of channels 103formed in the heat sinks 102 can direct the flow of the coolant in thewater block, such that the contact surface area of the coolant and theplurality of heat sinks 102 can be increased greatly to perform the heatexchange. However, the space available in the unidirectional channels103 is not close enough, and thus the coolant will pass through theunidirectional channels 103 too quickly, and its staying time cannot beimproved. As a result, the coolant cannot achieve the effect ofabsorbing enough heat of the heat source which is absorbed by the heatsinks 102, nor enhancing the heat dissipating effect. Such prior artsdefinitely require further improvements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art, the inventor ofthe present invention based on years of experience in the relatedindustry to conduct experiments and modifications, and finally designeda water block and its manufacturing method in accordance with thepresent invention.

Therefore, the present invention is to provide a water block havingporous microchannels and its manufacturing method, and a thermalconducting powder is sintered to form a porous microchannel structurethat can produce a turbulent flow effect on a coolant and greatlyimprove the staying time of coolant at the water block. Meanwhile, thecontact surface area formed by the porous microchannel structureproduces a heat exchange effect, such that the coolant can greatlyabsorb the heat of a heat source conducted from a heat generatingcomponent, so as to effectively enhance the heat dissipating effect.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth withparticularity in the appended claims. The invention itself however maybe best understood by reference to the following detailed description ofthe invention, which describes certain exemplary embodiments of theinvention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a water block of a prior art;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a water block of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a water block of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of manufacturing a porous microchannelstructure in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of shaping a porous microchannel structure inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a porous microchannel structure inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of operating a porous microchannel structurein accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a manufacturing method in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a porous microchannel structure inaccordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a granular structure in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of parallel heat sink structures inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of parallel heat sink granular structures inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a schematic view of a heat column in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 14 is a schematic view of a granular structure of a heat column inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a schematic view of a porous microchannel structure inaccordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention;and

FIG. 16 is a schematic view of a granular structure in accordance with afurther preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The technical characteristics, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent in the following detailed description ofthe preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.However, the drawings are provided for reference and illustration onlyand are not intended for limiting the scope of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, a water block body 1 of the invention comprises afirst casing 11 and a second casing 12 engaged with each other to form ahollow sealed box body, and the shape of the water block body 1 can bevaried appropriately according to different requirements. The firstcasing 11 and the second casing 12 of this embodiment are cuboids (butnot limited to such arrangement) made of a metal material or a ceramicmaterial. The first casing 11 and the second casing 12 are coupled bysoldering, riveting or binding. In addition, the first casing 11 has awater inlet pipe 111 and a water outlet pipe 112 extended outward (orupward) from both left and right ends of the first casing 11respectively and provided for the coolant to enter and exit the waterblock body 1. The second casing 12 has a contact surface 121 at thebottom of the second casing 12 for contacting a heat source (not shownin the figure).

Referring to FIG. 3 for an exploded view of the present invention, thesecond casing 12 of the water block body 1 further comprises amicrochannel structure 122 disposed on an internal side of the secondcasing 12, and the microchannel structure 122 is made by sintering athermal conducting powder 2, such that the porous structures with fineparticles form a plurality of substantial microchannels, and the thermalconducting powder 2 is made of a metal material (such as copper) or aceramic material.

Referring to FIG. 4 for a method of manufacturing the water block body 1in accordance with the present invention, a power 2 is added (or notadded) with a binder (such as stearic acid or wax) and shaped into acircular shape, a square shape, or an irregular shape by a shapingmachine, and then the shaped powder 2 is put into a tooling 3 having thesame shape of a shaping mold, and the tooling 3 is put at apredetermined position of an internal side of the second casing 12 asshown in FIG. 5, and then the binder in the tooling 3 is removed, andthe powders 2 are bound with each other to form a porous structure andattached on the surfaces of panels of the second casing 12. After thetooling 3 is removed, the powders 2 form the foregoing microchannelstructure 122 as shown in FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 7, the first casing11 and the second casing 12 are coupled by soldering, riveting orbinding to accomplish the water block body 1.

Referring to FIG. 8 for a flow chart of a method of manufacturing thewater block body 1 in accordance with the present invention, the methodcomprises the steps of: pressing and shaping a thermal conducting powder2 (Step S1), putting a tooling 3 at a predetermined position of a secondcasing 12 and then putting the whole pressed and shaped powder 2 intothe tooling 3 (Step S2), and gaps are formed naturally between fineparticles, and the powders 2 are combined by sintering to form amicrochannel structure 122 (Step S3), and then coupling the first casing11 and the second casing 12 by soldering, riveting or binding, andfinally completing the procedure of manufacturing the water block body 1(Step S4).

Referring to FIG. 7, the water block body 1 is attached onto a heatgenerating component 4 (which is a CPU or any other heat generatingchip), and the contact surface 121 absorbs the heat of a heat source onthe heat generating component 4, and conducts the heat of the heatsource to the microchannel structure 122 at the internal side of thewater block body 1, such that after the coolant is directed from thewater inlet pipe 111 to the water block body 1 (wherein an arrowhead inFIG. 7 indicates the direction of a water flow), the turbulent floweffect of the microchannel structure 122 greatly extends the stayingtime of the coolant at the water block body. As a result, the thermalconducting materials of the coolant and the microchannel structure 122perform a heat exchange to absorb enough heat and then discharge theheat from the water outlet pipe 112, so as to achieve the required heatdissipating effect.

Referring to FIG. 9 for another preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the first casing 11 and second casing 12 are perpendicular toa plurality of heat sinks (or fins) 113, 123 on the panel, and the heatsinks 113, 123 form a plurality of intervals which are arrangedalternately, and the intervals are interconnected with each other toform circuitous unidirectional channels. Then, the microchannelstructure 122 made of a thermal conducting powder 2 is put into theintervals, wherein the microchannel structure 122 can be made of squareparticles of different sizes as shown in FIG. 10, such that when thecontact surface 121 of the water block body 1 is attached onto the heatgenerating component 4, the contact surface 121 absorbs the heat of aheat source and conducts the heat to the heat sink 113, 123 anddissipates the heat to the microchannel structure 122 made of the powder2. After the coolant is directed from the water inlet pipe 111 to thecircuitous unidirectional channels, the turbulent flow effect of themicrochannel structure 122 performs a heat exchange with the pluralityof heat sinks 113, 123 and the microchannel structure 122, such that thecoolant can carry away the heat of the heat source and flow out from thewater outlet pipe 112, so as to achieve the required heat dissipatingeffect. Referring to FIG. 11, only a plurality of heat sinks 123 are setperpendicularly to a panel of the second casing 12 and form a pluralityof parallel channels, and then the microchannel structure 122 made bysintering the powder 2 is put into the channels. The microchannelstructure 122 is a structure in the shape of a long strip, and themicrochannel structure 122 can be a circular granular structure made ofpowders 2 of different sizes as shown in FIG. 12.

Further, one or more heat columns 5 are installed at a predeterminedposition of the microchannel structure 122 of the second casing 12 anderected from a panel on an internal side of the second casing 12 asshown in FIG. 13 (which illustrates an embodiment having one heat column5), and the microchannel structures 122 formed by sintering the thermalconducting powder 2 are set around the heat column 5, wherein themicrochannel structure 122 can be a granular structure made by sinteringpowders 2 of different sizes as shown in FIG. 14.

Referring to FIG. 15 for a further preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the first casing 11 has a third pipe 114 aligned preciselywith the contact surface 121, while the microchannel structure 122installed in the water block body 1 has a hollow opening alignedprecisely with the position of a third pipe 114, such that after thecoolant is directed from the third pipe 114, the coolant flows directlythrough the contact surface 121 attached with the heat generatingcomponent 4 and has a direct heat exchange effect with the contactsurface 121, and then the heat is discharged from the water outlet pipe112 of the porous microchannel structure 121, and thus the number ofpipes is not limited. In addition, the microchannel structure 122 couldbe made of circular granular powders of different sizes as shown in FIG.16.

The present invention is illustrated with reference to the preferredembodiment and not intended to limit the patent scope of the presentinvention. Various substitutions and modifications have suggested in theforegoing description, and other will occur to those of ordinary skillin the art. Therefore, all such substitutions and modifications areintended to be embraced within the scope of the invention as defined inthe appended claims.

1. A water block, comprising: a water block body, being a hollow box,and having at least one water inlet pipe and at least one water outletpipe; and at least one microchannel structure, being a porous structureformed by a powder and disposed in the water block body.
 2. The waterblock of claim 1, wherein the water block body has a contact surface ata bottom surface of the water block body.
 3. The water block of claim 1,wherein the water block body is made of a metal material or a ceramicmaterial.
 4. The water block of claim 1, wherein the water block bodycomprises a first casing and a second casing engaged with each other. 5.The water block of claim 4, wherein the second casing further includes aplurality of heat sinks.
 6. The water block of claim 5, wherein the heatsinks are parallel to each other.
 7. The water block of claim 4, whereinthe second casing further includes at least one heat column.
 8. Thewater block of claim 4, wherein the first casing and the second casinghave a plurality of heat sinks.
 9. The water block of claim 8, whereinthe heat sinks of the first casing and the second casing are arrangedalternately.
 10. A method of manufacturing a water block, comprising thesteps of: preparing a first casing and a second casing; pressing andshaping a powder; putting a tooling at a predetermined position of asecond casing; putting the powder in the tooling; sintering the powderinto a porous microchannel structure; and coupling the first casing andthe second casing to form a water block body.
 11. The method of claim10, further comprising a step of adding a binder on the powder.
 12. Themethod of claim 11, wherein the binder is one selected from stearic acidand wax.
 13. The method of claim 10, wherein a shaping machine is usedfor pressing and shaping the powder.
 14. The method of claim 10, whereinthe powder is pressed and shaped in a shape selected from the collectionof a circular shape, a square shape, and an irregular shape.
 15. Themethod of claim 10, wherein the powder is pressed and shaped in aparticle in a shape selected from the collection of a circular shape, asquare shape, and an irregular shape.
 16. The method of claim 10,wherein the first casing and the second casing are coupled by soldering,riveting, or binding.